Denver Broncos: What if Rahim Moore Broke Up the Joe Flacco Hail Mary?

By Tylor Walden

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, there was one play that haunted Denver Broncos‘ fans for a long time to come.

During last year’s AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Baltimore Ravens, Joe Flacco threw a desperation Hail Mary towards Jacoby Jones. When the pass was up in the air, all assumed that it would be broken up or overthrown. But somehow Flacco got it into the right spot, Rahim Moore misplayed the ball, and Jones had an easy walk into the end zone to tie the game and force overtime.

But what if Moore had broken up the play or better yet intercepted the pass? Would that have changed the aspect of the entire postseason? Well, if the Broncos had won that game, Moore would have been the hero in Denver and allowed the Broncos to win a playoff game for the second straight year — a first for them since the Super Bowl runs in the 1990s. The Broncos would have hosted the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. We would have had another Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning showdown for the right to go to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. I believe having the game played in Colorado, the Broncos would have beaten the Patriots and advanced to play the San Francisco 49ers. And I think this game would go the Broncos’ way as they would be able to keep Colin Kaepernick at bay and not only hand the 49ers their first Super Bowl loss but avenge the 55-10 beat down they received in the Super Bowl against the team back in the 1980s.

After that, I still believe that Wes Welker would have came over from the Patriots and would be a part of this team looking for a repeat as champions. I also think that the contract that the Ravens gave Flacco in the offseason would not be as big as it is now since he never won the big game. But something also tells me that Ray Lewis would have stuck around for one more year and pulled a Brett Favre on the league to return, although he would announce his return before filing the paperwork.

It is always funny when one play could change a lot as far as a team’s season, future plans, and offseason moves. But stranger things have happened. It is what it is, and the what ifs are something that we may never be able to solve. But you always have to wonder about that situation.